Shifting Gears: The Future of EV Performance as BMW and Hyundai Embrace Simulated Shifts

Are Electric Vehicles requiring artificial gear shifting? It seems BMW and Hyundai agree they do

Hyundai's 2025 Ioniq 5 N introduced the concept of mimicked gear changes in a mass-produced electric car. It looks like BMW is also developing a comparable feature.

Speaking to Top Gear, as reported by BMW Blog, BMW M division leader Frank van Meel expressed admiration for Hyundai's strategy and mentioned that BMW is also developing artificial gearshifts. He pointed out that while many electric vehicles don't have multiple gears, creating a simulation in high-performance models might be beneficial in giving drivers more sensory input.

Conceptual design for the BMW Vision Neue Klasse

van Meel explained to Top Gear that driving an all-electric vehicle that has a single gear and is silent can be disorienting as you can't tell if you're speeding at 125 or 150 mph, emphasizing the need for a fix. He revealed that the BMW M team has been experimenting with artificial gearshifts for quite some time and has come up with some compelling strategies.

Echoing a similar concept, BMW M is contemplating the incorporation of artificial engine sounds that respond to the driver's actions, as stated by van Meel. Hyundai has already implemented this idea with their Ioniq 5 N, mimicking the distinct sounds of the fuel-powered Elantra N. Moreover, Toyota and Dodge are introducing faux gear-shifting effects in their upcoming electric vehicles. The head of BMW M believes that as long as these sounds appear authentic, there's no issue with them.

The 2025 model of the

"Creating imitation sounds of a supercar or a spacecraft is not something we'd consider," stated van Meel. He expressed that although he found the manufactured engine sounds of the Ioniq 5 N to be unconvincing, he admired Hyundai's innovative approach.

Following van Meel's earlier conversation, he mentioned that BMW M is in the process of creating an electric M3 model using the upcoming Neue Klasse framework, which he claims will "outperform all others." It's still uncertain if this will include artificial shifting sounds and motor noises.

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